The 'garden'.

It's no secret how sad I was to be leaving behind my gardens in Washington.  


And as desperately hard as I try, I still think about them from time to time.  So much work.  So much patience.  So much love.


And to be honest, I found myself to be quite down yesterday.  Realizing I'd all but missed the blueberry harvest already here, as well as realizing that my local sources for gleaning pears, peaches, plums, apricots, and apples were gone, I found myself feeling quite somber.  


I know that probably sounds stupid.  But it's just the way I'm built - I love the bounty of summer and preserving it.


But long gone are my garden beds.  And long gone is the free fruit of the Northwest I've been spoiled with for 26 years.


And that's just the way the cookie crumbled, Maynard.

So.  For the time being.


I rounded up every container I had, filled it with compost from the yard, and lovingly scattered seeds.

See?


Tomatoes.  Beans.  Melons.  Herbs.  Eggplant.  Squash.  Cucumbers.  


Will they grow?  I have no idea.  Will the containers be too small?  Too hot?  Notta clue.  Is it the right time of year for such planting?  Fuh-get-about-it. 


But dangit, girlfriend wanted to plant some seeds.

It's warm here - really warm.  And really humid.  So I'm hoping they don't have any problems germinating.  From the little research I've done, in our zone, it's still possible to plant a second harvest of summer veggies through August (I think...).  At least the length of the growing season is an encouragement.


I moved the pots, and white-trash-looking buckets to a semi-sunny, semi-shady location on the property where I can easily keep an eye on them.  I'm mostly worried about the heat of July and August, so this also gives me the ability to move them indoors if it gets too hot for them.

Oh, what I'd give to see a sweet little welcoming tomato plant saying hello to me.  What I'd give to fill my (now empty) chest freezer with bags of frozen veggies for the winter months!  How much I'd love to enjoy more salads from our own garden!

You've heard it said, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade"?  Well, through this situation, I've been telling myself "when God sees it fit to give you lemons, be grateful you have lemons".  So many blessings, much larger than a lost garden, surround and sustain us here and for that I am very thankful.


But I'd still love a zucchini.


I'm just sayin'.